I sometimes feel that on Hive, who you know is more important than what you write or the quality of your article. That might sound a bit negative, but that is not my intention. It is rather an observation that I am making more and more often lately.

The Search for Content

I try to look for posts that I find interesting every day. That is not always easy. My own interests are naturally limited to certain topics, which already narrows the playing field. But when I scroll through the list of new posts or the trending page, I see things that make me think.

I sometimes see posts with votes and values that I simply do not understand. Furthermore, it is noticeable that certain authors consistently, almost like clockwork, receive a curation vote from the major curation trails. Regardless of the topic, the vote always lands.

The Crucial Role of 'The Goodwill Factor' To be honest? Sometimes that is demotivating. You put time into a piece, and it seems to drown. But when I think about it more deeply, the reason is often not favoritism, but purely the goodwill factor (or what we call gunfactor in Dutch). And that is something we should not underestimate.

Relationships!

If you have a connection with someone, you read a post through a different lens. You are more inclined to support that person, purely because you wish them well.

This is especially important when you write about niche topics. If I write about something specific like sports betting, for example, my potential audience on Hive is naturally extremely small. A casual passerby will likely scroll past because the topic doesn't appeal to them. But someone with whom I have built a relationship stops. They vote then not necessarily for the topic, but for me as a person.

Investing in Relationships
However, you do not receive that goodwill for free. Relationships do not form within a single day. It is the result of many hours, days, and weeks of investment. It is a continuous process of reading, curating, writing value-added comments, and responding to the replies that follow.

I even notice that this is sometimes more "profitable" for me than writing my own post. If I tally up the potential upvotes on my comments, the sum is sometimes worth more than the payout of my own article. It is hard work, but the return is in the long term.

Intent and the Overtures To be clear: I do not write those comments to get an upvote. I write them to show interest in the topic or to share a viewpoint. It is an overture from my side to work on that relationship. Of course, the recipient must also be open to it, but if that click is there, that valuable safety net is created.

My Own 'Gold Mine' Besides responding directly to posts, I have found another way to find those connections: reading other people's comments.

Do not just reply to the author, but see what other readers are writing under a popular post. By reading those discussions, I sometimes find interesting authors with whom I share a similar opinion or interest. It is a gold mine that is often overlooked for finding like-minded individuals.

Conclusion

Is it too negative to say that Hive is a place where your network is crucial? I do not think so. It is the reality of a social platform. Content is the foundation, but the goodwill factor you build through genuine interaction is the engine that keeps everything running.

I am curious how you experience this balance. Do you also feel that the 'social' part of this blockchain requires more work than the 'media' part? Let me know in the comments.

Posted Using INLEO